


A Little Responsibility

by Remadra



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Domestic Fluff, INFAY verse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remadra/pseuds/Remadra
Summary: Gordon and Benrey get Joshua a puppy. Mostly Benrey. And it's not a puppy.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 14
Kudos: 147





	A Little Responsibility

**Author's Note:**

> Please accept this while I continue struggling to write Bubby for INFAY.
> 
> Double spaced for easy reading :]

Benrey was very proud of themself. Gordon had no clue what he’d done, but that was okay. Joshua was old enough to learn responsibility, and he’d been asking for a puppy for quite a while. Benrey got him the best kind he could find for a rambunctious seven year old.

“Alright, you know the deal, dog. Stay in the box until Joshua opens it up, then stay nice and calm. He’s gonna scream a bit, he does that when he’s excited. It might scare you a bit but you’re gonna love him. No way you can’t. He’s the best kid. He looks a lot like his dad, you know. Got curlier hair but reminds me a lot of when Freeman was a kid. Same buck teeth and pouty face.”

Benrey lifted the shoebox a little higher, squinting through the hole he’d poked in the side with a careful claw. Yeah. It was still alive in there. He could feel it shift around, and when he peered in, one of the legs retreated farther into the shadows. Benrey was used to that. Most creatures tried to keep their distance. This dog had no reason to be any different.

Benrey grinned harder, toying with the brightly colored ribbon that tied the box shut. Joshua wanted a puppy, so he was pretty lucky to find a young one. It should be easy to train. It was all about teaching not to bite. He’d met a pretty calm one, one of the scientists got it when it was very young and he’d taught it to curl up on the desk when he was busy.

He hoped it was hardy enough to survive its first day in the Freeman household.

Benrey bumped the doorbell with his elbow, doing their best to not jostle the precious cargo. His ears perked up as he heard the thumping of feet coming down the stairs inside. Oh, right, it was a surprise. He slid it behind his back just as the door opened.

“Hey, Joshie.”

“Dad! Benny’s back!”

Benrey winked down at Joshua. "I think there's something important about today, lil guy. But I can't quite remember what. Do you think you can help me out?"

Joshua stuck his tongue out, eyebrows squeezed together so tight that his eyes shut.

"It's my birthday! You promised you wouldn't forget!"

“Oh! That’s right!” Benrey let one hand off the box so they could rest it against their head dramatically. “Oh no, I hope you’ll forgive me, Joshie. I really think that this time, I can make up for it.”

They smiled fondly as Joshua’s face lit up. “Do you have… a present for me?”

Benrey leaned forward conspiratorially, waving Joshua closer as if he had a secret. “I just might. There’s just one thing you gotta do first, buddy. Think you can handle that?”

Joshua nodded excitedly, practically bouncing in place. “What is it?”

“You have to promise to take really good care of it, okay?”

“Okay! I can do that!” Joshua clapped his hands together, hopping from side to side.

Benrey patted his head, ruffling his kid’s hair. “Good, now where’s your dad?”

“Right here, Ben. Find what you were looking for?” Gordon stepped out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. Benrey sidestepped Joshua before the boy could reveal anything, leaning in to give Gordon a quick peck on the cheek.

“Heeeeeeck yeah. Got the best. Worked real hard to get it. Plus it’s safe, found someone who had one before, took care of any problems. Had Tommy check it over too. No rabies or nothin’.”

Gordon raised a brow at that, leaning to try and get a look at the box behind his partner’s back.

“Benrey?”

“Hm?”

“That better not be what I think it is.”

Benrey shrugged, turning to the excited kid staring at his present. “Hey, Joshie, go get cleaned up for your dad, huh?”

Joshua pouted, crossing his arms. “Do I hafta? It’s my birthday!”

Gordon narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms right back with a smirk. “Oh, sure, you could stay down here while Ben and I say how much we looooove each other.”

The youngest Freeman stuck his tongue out, pretending to get sick. “Ew! No! Bye! Gonna wash my hands!” His parents laughed as he booked it towards the bathroom. As soon as their son was gone, Gordon turned back around to his partner.

“Benrey.”   
  


“Gordon.”

“Did you get Joshie a puppy?”

Benrey hemmed and hawed, finally pulling the box out from behind his back. “Define puppy.”

“You know damn well what a puppy is, Benjamin Henrey Freeman.”

Benrey snickered at the fake name, shaking their head. “No no, see, it’s not. It’s little, and it’s gonna be real good. See, I know you didn’t really mind ‘em so much, you thought they were kinda cute, and this one’s got no beak no more.”

_ “Beak?” _

Gordon’s incredulous stare was interrupted by the return of the birthday boy, running up to his dad and being swept up with a giggle. “Dad! Benrey got me something and I promise to take really good care of it! Please don’t make him take it back, pleeeeeeease?”

Gordon did his best to ignore the tag team of puppy eyes, but his family knew him far too well.

“Fine! Fine, you can keep it, whatever  _ it _ is, as long as  _ you two _ take care of it.”

Joshua cheered, wiggling out of his dad’s arms to run to the kitchen and hop into his seat. Presents came after cake, and cake still had to be cut. Benrey followed Gordon in, looking curiously around the room.

“Where’s the science team? I thought they’d never miss Joshie’s birthday.”

“They’re taking us to Chuck E. Cheese’s after, but we’re gonna have our cake here first. Though, we might have to postpone, considering  _ someone _ went and brought  _ something _ home.”

“No worse than what you brought home, Feetman. You brought home a whole hot guy.”

“Whatever you say, Feetman.”

Ah, right. That joke didn;t work as well when they shared the last name. Benrey sat down next to Joshua, placing the shoebox carefully on the table next to him. He gently pushed the hyped up child’s face away from the holes.

“No peeking. It’s a surprise.”

Happy Birthday was sung, the candles were blown out in one go, the cake was shared, and the whole time Joshua rushed his parents to finish. Benrey lagged on purpose, enjoying the irritated poking from their son.

“Oh man, this cake that my loving husband made is so good, I think I just want to savor it forever. Maybe I’ll get a third piece.”

Gordon knew very well what Benrey was up to. “Come on, Ben. It’s not really fair to what’s in the box to keep it in there longer than it needs to be. If you don’t hurry up, I just might let him open it before you’re done.”

Before he’d even finished, the cake was gone. Benrey smiled innocently, frosting smeared over their face. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m super fair. Present time!”

Joshua cheered, reaching out for Benrey to pass the box. “Please and thanks, please!”

Benrey slid it over, relaxing back in his chair as Gordon leaned in to whisper.

“Uh, Benrey, just so I know, what is it, exactly?”

“Baby crab. It’s safe. Got no beak, no home. Dunno where it came from, but I found it back there when I was looking for some stuff in my old room. Besides, baby crabs don’t know how to be mean yet. They’re taught that.”

Gordon took a deep breath, hesitant to trust the alien on how harmless the creature was. He knew that Benrey would never let anything happen to Joshua, but he also knew that Benrey didn’t think  _ being on fire _ was dangerous.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of a seven year old squealing in delight.

“You got me a pet! A real one!”

Gordon peaked into the shoebox, instantly shocked. “They’re… fuzzy?”

Benrey grinned wide, proud of himself. “The baby ones, yeah. Whatcha gonna name it, Joshie?”

The child picked up the creature gently, petting it with one finger. It rumbled a little bit, front legs wiggling with the sudden touch.

“I’m gonna name it Toad.”

Benrey bent over with a wheeze while Gordon spluttered.

“What made you think of  _ Toad?” _

“Well, they jump, don’t they? And I can’t call it Frog, because that’s what you call Benny, Dad. So I’m gonna call them Toad! So now we have a Frog and a Toad, just like my book!” Joshua held the headcrab proudly, lifting it up to show its face to his parents. “Look! They look like a toad!”

Benrey cackled, clapping Gordon on the back and knocking the man out of his stupor. “That’s how I know he’s your kid. He’s just like you.”

“Don’t pin this all on me, he’s your kid too, Benrey!”

Benrey smirked, throwing an arm around each of them. “You’re right. And now I’m his favorite, right Joshie?”

“No! Toad’s my favorite!” Joshua wiggled out to start showing Toad the house, leaving Benrey stunned and Gordon laughing.

“Benson Reynold Freeman, what have you gotten us into?”

“Nothing we can’t handle. I hope.”


End file.
